BEC commissioned to undertake market engagement on clean energy development
BEC commissioned to undertake market engagement on clean energy development
We’re proud to share that Energy Coast West Cumbria Ltd (BEC) has been commissioned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and Cumberland Council to undertake targeted market engagement around the potential development of clean energy on land adjacent to Sellafield.
This follows the Government’s announcement back in June, asking the NDA and the Council to work together to explore how this land could support the UK’s energy security – while also creating new jobs and driving economic growth for our region.
Pioneer Park
As part of this work, we’ve also been asked to create a masterplan for the site – now referred to as Pioneer Park – which will set out a clear vision for the wider development. That means taking into account the requirements of existing major programmes at Sellafield, as well as the opportunities ahead.
Our CEO, Michael Pemberton, said it best:
“We are delighted that BEC has been commissioned to lead on the initial market engagement for Pioneer Park. This process will help us to better define what opportunities would best deliver our ambitions for Pioneer Park and bring the greatest benefit to our community. We will move forward at speed while considering carefully all the information and ideas that we gain through the process.”
We’re not doing this alone. The Leader of Cumberland Council, Mark Fryer, said:
“This is early but important progress on our development of Pioneer Park. I look forward to hearing what the market thinks of our proposal and I will be very interested in the ideas that are brought forward to benefit our community. BEC is ideally placed to lead this work on our behalf.”
David Peattie, NDA Group CEO, added:
“We’ve been working closely with Cumberland Council, the local MP and other stakeholders in West Cumbria to drive forward progress and this is a tangible step forward for Pioneer Park. We are committed to ensuring we get the maximum benefit from this land for the community and wider economy, while ensuring we don’t compromise on delivering our mission.”
MP for Whitehaven and Workington, Josh MacAlister, also commented:
“When the Prime Minister announced the Government’s backing for our plan for Pioneer Park back in June, we said we’d work at pace to bring forward plans to develop the site and that’s what we’re doing. We now need developers to come forward with their best ideas and help to shape our masterplan for Pioneer Park. I’m clear that I want to see new nuclear power generation here and the industries it could power and I’m optimistic we’ll get some really exciting proposals brought forward.”
Moving forward
At BEC, we’re a joint entity of the NDA and Cumberland Council, specialising in property management and development – with regeneration and community impact always at the heart of what we do.
This next phase will see us carry out targeted market engagement with a wide range of clean energy and redevelopment companies. We want to understand the technical possibilities for clean energy generation on the site, as well as explore what else could be developed alongside it.
All of this will feed into the Pioneer Park masterplan, which we expect to publish later this year – opening the door for even wider market engagement.
We’re excited to see what the future holds, and we’re ready to move forward with ambition, purpose and a commitment to our community.